We use cookies to make sure that you get the best experience possible using our website. If you continue using our website without changing your settings, we’ll assume that you’re happy to receive all cookies on the Projects Abroad website. To find out more read our cookie policy.

Monthly Updates from 2009

At the beginning of November we received a very successful visit from one of our Overseas Recruitment staff, Laurens Vos, who runs our Projects Abroad office in Holland. His visit, though short, was very demonstrative of his crucial role in the recruitment of future volunteers. It was encouraging to be able to show another member of Projects Abroad how our camp works, the type of projects we offer and discuss our purpose for being here.

Our Conservation projects are reaching their final stages for 2009. Our Biodiversity Study has received recognition and the Ramsar site declaration gave the Lagoon "El Chupadero" the acknowledgment it deserved. The State SEMARNAT office is now supporting the site with a temporary jobs program encouraging local people to come and help with cleaning and maintaining some of the most distant areas of the site.

Mexico has had its fair share of dramas this year, and the beginning of September brought the second hurricane of the season to the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Hurricane Jimena hit land substantially to the north of where we are based in Baja California and the Northern States. However, at the camp, we still felt the affects of the hurricane and experienced a period of much stronger winds.

2009 has been a very busy year. The activities at the conservation project have increased and we are now reaching the peak of our 4th turtle arrival high season in the area. There is a lot to do still and at the moment we are right in the busiest time.

It is not too often that you can say "I saw a baby crocodile being born!" but last Friday at the crocodile farm we were lucky enough to see this happen. A couple of Acutus crocodiles had the first nest of the season to hatch out.

With the high season for turtle nesting just around the corner, we are truly lucky to have the help of our volunteers at the moment. Their help makes the difference between a successful high season nest collection and a mediocre one. It is vital at this time that we carry out important activities like maintenance work, clearing areas, treating the sand in the corral and constructing the warehouse.

Entering in a boat into a lagoon that is infested of crocodiles in the middle of the night sounds a lot like what the regular folk would call their "worst nightmare", but once or twice a year, just before the crocodile mating season start by the dark given by a new moon, we take the duty of monitoring the local population that inhabits the lagoon that surrounds the crocodile farm.

Regarding conservation activities, one can just simply carry on and on and sometimes feel that all the effort that is put in is useless, as often the problems to a certain extent still remain. It is sometimes in these situations that you have to look at what you do in a retrospective way.